Speakers in a Group drop out when audio switches

G
Userlevel 2
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Well, this one is annoying. I have a Yoga Studio and have 6 Play 3’s mounted on the walls, when you switch tracks or playlists or even when they songs run themselves and switch to the next track at least half of the speakers drop out, but within 30 seconds they all reconnect.

 

Internet speed is 300MB+ and I did try turning off the modem and router (just those 2) and for a short time afterwards the audio was switching perfectly no dropouts at all. Then today we are back to speakers dropping out again. 

 

In conclusion, the audio will drop from certain speakers and return within 30 seconds without intervention, the system consists of 6 Play 3’s, 2 SYMFONISK’s, a Connect, and a Boost.

 

If anyone has a solution or idea please share, one of my teachers ditched this epic Sonos system to use a JBL BT speaker for a class “because it works”, so please any help here is huge

 

Best!

53 replies

G
Userlevel 2
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Yes you are correct about Starlink and reserved IP’s, there is no way to set, which is why the travel router seems to solve the issue, thank you @nik9669a and @Stanley_4 for the suggestion (and anyone else if I missed you post).

However I have been a Starlink user at my home since the beta launch 4 years ago. In the early days video conferencing was a big issue, this was during Covid so it was a big problem, overtime though I can say this no longer an issue, I even have the original circular dish, but I did upgrade the router to the Gen 3 router at home and the studio started with Gen 3 router 

Airgetlam

It’s really weird. I have a Sonos system I semi-manage that was connected to a StarLink system, had no issues at all. Not a bunch of speakers, though, but was certainly playing Spotify without perceived issues. 

However, the quality of the StarLink signal, with its frequent dropouts were an issue for video calls, this home has moved over to a 5G device. I think the homeowner is close to ditching StarLink (although he shares his signal with his neighbors, who want him to keep it). And StarLink had no way of setting up reserved IP addresses, at least that I could find.  Unfortunately, in this remote location, options for Internet service are a challenge. 

Bruce
N
Userlevel 7
Badge +18

**Resolved**

 

Thanks everyone for your support. The resolution for me was the inclusion of the Travel router. It wirelessly connects to Starlink the all devices connect to it. Plus I got all new Era 300s for the studio and Era 100s for the lobby 😉

I’m glad it’s finally (hopefully!) resolved - it must have been a frustrating year or so for you!

G
Userlevel 2
Badge +4

**Resolved**

 

Thanks everyone for your support. The resolution for me was the inclusion of the Travel router. It wirelessly connects to Starlink the all devices connect to it. Plus I got all new Era 300s for the studio and Era 100s for the lobby 😉

Stanley_4
Userlevel 7
Badge +22

Don’t confuse the various types of IP addresses, the ones you want to set to static/reserved are the ones issued to devices on your LAN by the router’s DHCP server. IP to MAC mapping)

IP addresses for the LAN and WAN are different and set differently.

 

And you you probably do want the static/reserved IP addresses setup.

G
Userlevel 2
Badge +4

So I purchased a GL.iNET Slate AX Wi-Fi 6 travel router.

“It works in WISP - Wireless Internet Service Provider - mode by default, which means that the router will create its own subnet and act as a firewall to protect you from the public network”

 

Sounds like this is the same as reserving a static IP by default, there is also a static IP setting too, do I use that as well?

 

Thanks!

Stanley_4
Userlevel 7
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I believe that is how it would work.

I think the travel router also offers a Bridge mode, it has several options, but you want the Router mode.

G
Userlevel 2
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So correct me if I am wrong, can I connect this travel router to Starlink's WiFi band then have the Sonos connect to it? So I wouldn't plug in anything via Ethernet, just connect wirelessly?

 

Is that considered a bridge?

 

Thanks!

Stanley_4
Userlevel 7
Badge +22

As soon as you add an extender you are in “unsupported by Sonos” networking territory.

I’d try the travel router plugged into the Starlink and see how it works, you could always add a longer Ethernet cable and move it to where it would work.

Another option is a HotSpot (WiFi in and out) capable travel router that you can place anywhere it can connect to the base’s WiFi and your client devices.

(haven’t used this one just a suggestion)

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Wireless-Travel-Router-TL-WR902AC/dp/B01N5RCZQH/ref=sr_1_6

Page 90: https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/D1hwLqTgBPS.pdf

G
Userlevel 2
Badge +4

So the Starlink router is on ceiling so plugging a travel router up there may lose its signal before reaching the speakers. What if I plug in the travel router via Ethernet to one of the Netgear extenders in my lobby, could that work?

Stanley_4
Userlevel 7
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Sonos doesn’t like extenders, they seem to cause issues rather than solve them.

A decent travel router will let you do simple things like assign static/reserved IP addresses.

G
Userlevel 2
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A travel router? Wouldn't that be exactly the same as using the Nighthawk wifi extender? The Nighthawk creates its own network too, and I have all the Sonos devices connected to just that extender and its own network.

Stanley_4
Userlevel 7
Badge +22

Worst case if Starlink offers no other choices would be a travel router, connect it to your Starlink and then connect your Controllers, Sonos devices and music library (if you have one) to it.

N
Userlevel 7
Badge +18

This issue has been going on for more than a year: are you out of contract with your service provider? If so see what router you can get from alternative providers. 
Or, another consideration: can you hang a travel router off your Starlink router and use that to control your Sonos devices? Perhaps others on this forum can comment on that as a solution? 

G
Userlevel 2
Badge +4

Some have said it takes minutes to setup reserved IP addresses, sadly I still cannot do this can anyone walk me through? Sonos support says to reach out to SpaceX and SpaceX does not have a phone number to call and emails refer to their manual that talks about reserved IP addresses and that Starlink router only reserves them for 30 mins. 

 

Can anyone help me set that up?

 

Meanwhile this is one of my lobby speakers hardwired to Ethernet...now imagine what you are about to hear is happening with 6 Play 3's in a full workout class environment, take a look and listen for yourself 😬:

 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/BE5kT1VDCHqxwShx6

 

Has to be the worst sound glitch ever...

N
Userlevel 7
Badge +18

You say “I installed the speakers again anew and things seemed perfect”. Do you mean you did a factory reset and then re-installed them? If so this lends weight to the issue being duplicate ip addresses. The router will have had to issue new ip addresses during setup. 
If so, I fear that new Eras will be prone to the same problem. 

G
Userlevel 2
Badge +4

I am not able to make reserved IP addresses, Starlink is not clear how this is possible, cause I can’t login to the router directly like a normal router. The app allows for some pretty detailed functions but no reserved IPs

 

With that being said I was able to plug a Symfonisk bookshelf via ethernet that was in the lobby, I installed the speakers again anew and things seemed perfect in fact one Play 3 could not connect and flashed a rare LED error so I though that I really solved the problem with a bad piece of hardware, it resolved the issues where speaker drop out in that first 30 seconds, so I thought it was good to go, I was very excited….however that was short lived...the audio started to skip again.

 

Like dude the speakers are next to Mesh 6 routers and still issues, honestly doesn’t make sense. Sonos customer support says there is some sort of interference, but there is no business to my right and the Starbucks to my left has terrible wifi that barely makes it here and they are closed in the evenings with Wi-Fi off so I know there is literally no interference unless we are now counting cell phones, even then if its just my phone the issue happens.

 

Unless I missed solution, after 2 years of audio issues, I now need to make a change….time for 6 Era 300s and 2 Era 100s and Sub Gen 3. This will resolve the issue on many fronts, eliminate Sonos Net which seems to hinder more than help, add Wi-Fi 6 support for much better Wi-Fi signal, but most importantly we will have Bluetooth backup now, which is a critical added feature. I need a consistent solution as we open more studios.

Stanley_4
Userlevel 7
Badge +22

Yes for ones set to use DHCP (IPv4 and IPv6) to obtain addresses from the ISP’s servers.

There are other methods that are used, mostly on legacy or specialty connections.

 

Do note that the above is your public IP, which has nothing to do with your internal LAN’s IPs. Sonos uses internal IPs to communicate and the router is used to connect them to the external/public IP.

G
Userlevel 2
Badge +4

This the same deal for all other routers?

G
Userlevel 2
Badge +4

When I try to log into Starlink directly via 192.168.1.1 I get this:

 

G
Userlevel 2
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Tried but there is no setting in the app to setup reserve IP addresses, when I asked Gemini I got this:

 

 

G
Userlevel 2
Badge +4

It does have its own network, so I should put the Gen 3 Starlink Router in Bypass mode, Roger that

melvimbe

So I am using the new Gen 3 Starlink Router, then I plugged the Netgear Nighthawk Mesh extender with main unit plugged into Starlink Router and the 2 extender cubes in the lobby and Studio. Sonos is connected to the Netgear Nighthawk (better range then Starlink router by itself)

 

Do I do all this in the Nighthawk app?

 

Thanks!

 

In the Nighthawk app.  Also make sure that your Starlink router is in bypass mode, and not transmitting it’s own wifi network that device might be trying to connect to.

Danny
G
Userlevel 2
Badge +4

So I am using the new Gen 3 Starlink Router, then I plugged the Netgear Nighthawk Mesh extender with main unit plugged into Starlink Router and the 2 extender cubes in the lobby and Studio. Sonos is connected to the Netgear Nighthawk (better range then Starlink router by itself)

 

Do I do all this in the Nighthawk app?

 

Thanks!

N
Userlevel 7
Badge +18

As said, allocating ip addresses is usually quite straightforward. If you give us the router details, someone here may be able to help. It’s usually detailed in the user manual, too. 

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